Panthers: Is the left guard position a cause for concern?
The uncertainly at left guard for the Carolina Panthers in OTAs has the potential to be a lingering problem if not addressed efficiently and properly….
As the first week of OTAs comes to a close, an interesting positional dilemma may be brewing for the Carolina Panthers. Stephen Igoe of 247Sports wrote a piece Friday detailing the situation at left guard. Losing Andrew Norwell may prove to be a sizable blow to the offensive line, and now it is up to the team to find the right in-house replacement.
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Taylor Moton, Jeremiah Sirles, Amini Silatolu and Greg Van Roten all took reps at the position in this first week per Igoe and it seems as if the position has no definitive starter. As Igoe notes, OTAs are difficult to measure what a team has at this time.
"That said, despite the number of snaps per day, it’s hard to tell what the team really has this time of year when pads aren’t on and no contact is allowed, especially at a position like interior offensive line."
To me, this is a time-sensitive situation. I understand there is a feeling-out process when penciling in a replacement at a position. They are going to have to carefully evaluate the situation and to this point, it sounds like they are. However, the Carolina Panthers need to evaluate in a timely manner so that the projected starter gets first-team reps. In the preseason, reps are crucial and it would be nice to have someone who they can feel comfortable trotting out there in Week 1.
I get the sense that the Panthers knew this was going to happen once they let Andrew Norwell go. For the most part, it sounds like they are prepared to deal with the situation. Player communication will be important too. Once the team knows who they want protecting Cam Newton, they need to let all involved know as soon as possible to avoid confusion.
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If not taken care of properly, the left guard position could be a cause for concern. That is why the team needs to handle the process delicately but efficiently as the season draws closer.